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Identifying The Identity Global Forum

Is the UID project coming to the United States?

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USA UID Project is for supplies in defense, but an over view on possibility of unique identity for US people

It is an interesting discussion to have when the topic deals with the protection of identity and databases that keep track of the information. While the technology attempts to solve many economical and various social problems in society, it also raises a lot of concerns. Especially with the involvement of corporations and agencies that might have a diabolical agenda with obtaining this information. This has always been a concern even with paper documents in the past, which was a form of technology using files, organization and involving government systems that kept that information.

The purpose of the system is to be able to collect the identities of all Indian citizens through one data base using a biometric system. Because of the success and popularity of mobile technology, in order to be able to identify and connect citizens from rural areas and make it easier for them to get what they need - whether it be bank (many do not have bank accounts) and food access, they are able to get those same benefits faster using a fingerprint or iris scanning to confirm their identities. During registration, everyone is assigned a random series of numbers that is used to identify them, similar to the kind of numbers seen for social security cards.

While the identification authority of India has made extensive efforts to put their aid project together, they still have a PR team that has to go out into the field to get people to register for the service. While this is going on, the citizens are mobilizing and having serious discussions about these efforts, most of them about security concerns of their identities. Those involved in the project state that they understand these concerns and attempt to set everyone at ease, and in a way the United States has been watching closely and also addressing some concerns on a different level. In 2011, the well-known publication 'the Hindu' pointed out some comparisons between India’s UID AADHAAR project with one that the United Kingdom tried to implement under Tony Blair. As far as the failure of the project and how they are similar. The article points out there are many myths about the idea behind the project that have been proven wrong regardless of whatever promise the Indian authority says. The United States has concerns about terrorism and is also interested in what devices these micro atm scanners will run on using the biometric technology and what kind of anti-fraud and encryption measures are put into place, and if the standards meet those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); an agency within the united nations that mandates over readable air travel biometric documents.

These questions also cover areas such as assigning passports, border security, military, etc. The United States government has asked these questions since 2009. But is this perhaps a technology that the U.S. might be interested in putting to use for its own citizens? Other than the interest the U.S. shows in India’s project, there is no indication that a system like it will be put into place for America. This is most likely because of the most obvious reason that most citizens would be against it. There would not be enough support from citizens to make it possible, just like with what happened with the United Kingdom. The government eventually had to cease their effort to develop a UID card for their citizens, no matter how hard they tried to push for it.

Technology has always been a moving and evolving force that has taken us into directions that we have never dreamed of before. It is also appropriate and part of the development to question the ethics behind some of this technology when it threatens to leave our identities vulnerable to attack. There are always efforts to take advantage of this kind of technology, but like any progressive civilization, we have to make just as much effort to protect our identities through research and sometimes the law.